Application process

What is the planning application process?

• Firstly, your application submission is checked to see if it is complete. We need a certain amount of accurate information and detail so we can consider all relevant aspects of your proposal. When we have adequate drawings, information and application fee, we will 'validate' your submission. See our validation checklists for guidance.
• You will be told if submission details are missing or incorrect.  You will have a few weeks to provide the information, failing which we will return it to you, giving you more time to gather the information required and to resubmit your application if you choose.
• Your application is allocated to a planning officer once the submission is complete and has been validated. Notification of neighbouring premises is carried out and we advertise some applications in the local press, where regulations require.
• The planning officer will carry out the necessary consultations, such as with Environmental Health, Transportation & Development, SEPA, Historic Environment Scotland, etc.
• The planning officer will visit the site in some cases.  This will be decided on a case by case basis but will normally include proposals which will be presented to Planning & Placemaking Committee for determination (which includes all major applications) and where we are minded to refuse applications under 'delegated powers' (see below). Planning officers will not normally make an appointment to visit unless there are access difficulties. We may visit other sites too but many sites can be properly assessed by remote means, including photographs provided by the applicant.
• You might be asked for further information, or to make changes to your proposal, which may mean we could support your proposal rather than refusing permission. It is your choice whether you make changes or not. If the changes required are significant, we might ask you to withdraw the application and resubmit once revised proposals have been drafted.
• The planning officer, when assessing your application, considers all relevant development plan policies, other relevant Council and National policies and guidance, and comments from the public, community councils and consultees before preparing their report.
• Your application will normally be determined by either by senior officers within the Development Management service or the councillors of the Planning & Placemaking Committee. A very few applications must be referred to full council for determination. Further information on the determination responsibilities is set out in our Scheme of Delegation (PDF) [114KB] .  
• After determination you will receive a decision notice, either granting or refusing permission.  You should read it very carefully.  If granted, there may be conditions (PDF) [136KB] attached, which may require you to do certain things at certain times and probably to let us know.  If refused, the reasons will clarify the planning issues and may help you revise your proposal to meet the planning requirements. Information on how to appeal, or have reviewed, a refusal or conditions will be included. This appeal/review process is only available to the applicant.

More detailed information of the full process can be found in What Happens to My Planning Application (PDF) [144KB] and in the sections below.

Hierarchy of planning applications

Planning applications fall into one of 3 categories. The decision process and the roles involved are different for each category.

• Local Development (PDF) [198KB]  includes extensions to existing houses and small developments involving uses such as housing, industry and retail. The statutory period for determining these applications is 2 months.
• Major Development (PDF) [360KB]  comprises developments of 50 houses or more, large retail developments and certain waste, transport and energy related developments. The statutory period for determining these applications is 4 months.

• National Developments are mainly large public works and are identified in the Scottish Government's National Planning Framework. The statutory period for determining these applications is 4 months.

What documents should my application comply with?

Planning applications are determined primarily by ensuring the proposals accord with:

• Adopted Local Development Plan (LDP2)
• National Planning Framework 4
• Supplementary Guidance

We aim to raise the standard of design quality in built environment when determining planning applications, to ensure Perth & Kinross is seen as a welcoming, successful and creative place.

We will not grant permission for poor quality or inappropriate design. High quality designs, whether or not they are contemporary interpretations or traditional styles, are encouraged where you can demonstrate that you have taken into consideration the existing surroundings.

We believe sustainable developments achieved through close relations between innovation, conservation and regeneration; balancing dynamic change on the one hand with fossilisation on the other; creating place recognised for its heritage but also for its vitality and vision.

Community Engagement

Before submitting your application you should consider the benefits that early consultation or engagement with the community could have on your development. Effective engagement with the public can lead to better plans, better decisions and more satisfactory outcomes and can help avoid delays in the planning process. Read our  Guidelines for Developers and Individuals on Engagement (PDF) [570KB]  for helpful tips and guidance on how engagement can help you.

Will there be conditions attached to my planning permission?

We may grant permission subject to conditions. This is explained more fully in our  Planning Conditions (PDF) [136KB]  guidance note. Please note there is a charge for each request for the discharge (submitting the further information required) or confirmation of compliance with conditions but you can refer to more than one condition in each request.  The charges are listed in our Planning application fees pages. 

Can I make changes to my planning permission?

If, after you receive planning permission, you want to make revisions to the approved development you will need to let us know in advance.  We will require good quality drawings and details clearly showing the changes you wish to make.  Revised drawings and other information must be submitted via the ePlanning portal if your original application was lodged that way.

If the changes you want to make are modest and have no planning implications, we have discretion and may be able to consider them as 'non-material variations' (NMVs) and formally update your planning permission. We will confirm in writing if the changes can be accepted as a NMV or if a fresh planning application will be required. Work should not begin until you have all the necessary permissions and consents.  Please note there is a charge for each request for NMVs but you can include more than one change in each request.  The charges are listed in our Planning application fees pages. 

When can I start my development?

Generally, unless your Decision Notice says otherwise, you can begin the development at any time within three years of the granting of planning permission. If you have not started any work by then, the permission will expire.

Some permissions are issued with conditions that need to be met before any work can start. These are called pre-commencement conditions. Details of these conditions will be included with the Decision Notice. Failure to comply with the terms of a pre-commencement condition would make your development unauthorised. Additional drawings and other information required by condition must be submitted via the ePlanning portal if your original application was lodged that way. Please be aware that the Council has two months to consider the information (or four months in the case of a Major planning permission).  You should therefore submit the required information more than two months (or four months) before your permission expires. 

You must notify us once you have decided the date the development is to start, a   Notice of Initiation of Development (PDF) [193KB] for this is supplied with the Decision Notice. Failure to notify the planning authority before work commences is a breach of planning control.

When you complete a development you should similarly give notice of completion to the planning authority. A   Notice of Completion of Development (PDF) [190KB] for this is also supplied with the Decision Notice.

For certain classes of development there must be a   Notice of Ongoing Development (PDF) [73KB] displayed during the development. If this applies to your application, further information will be provided with the Decision Notice.